Sage Northcutt says his challenge to face social media star Logan Paul in either a boxing or mixed martial arts fight was anything but a joke.
“Any fighter fighting in the UFC would take the opportunity to take a fight against a YouTuber and stand to make several million dollars,” Northcutt, now a free agent, said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. “… I’m not too big for him. I definitely don’t outweigh him. It would be a lot of fun.
“Either [boxing or MMA] is good for the sport. I know Logan Paul just had a boxing fight. It takes a lot of courage just to step in a ring and do that. I think it’s a great opportunity for both of us.”
Paul, who has more than 18 million YouTube subscribers, recently fought fellow social media star KSI to a majority draw at a sold-out Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, on Aug. 25.
After the fight, Paul took to Twitter to announce his desire to fight in the UFC.
the thought of securing a fight in the @UFC is exciting… could finally use my wrestling background… but i hear some other celebrities/athletes want to catch these hands first? 😂
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) August 29, 2018
Northcutt (11-2), a 22-year-old who has won his past three fights in the UFC, responded.
Let me know when you wanna catch these hands 👊🏼
— Sage Northcutt (@sagenorthcutt) August 31, 2018
As a senior at Westlake High School in Ohio, Paul was a highly regarded linebacker on the football team, posting 92 tackles during his senior year. He also placed fifth overall in the state wrestling tournament.
Northcutt’s trainer, UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber, told Helwani on Tuesday that he has already spoken with Paul’s team about potentially making this fight a reality.
“I asked, ‘Are you serious about fighting Sage?’ [Logan is] not opposed to it,” Faber said. “He does have a wrestling background and is doing some boxing now. He’s a big, strong guy. I think there is some potential there.
“The truth is, everybody wants to put Sage up against wrestlers. Logan Paul is a bigger guy than him, and he’s a wrestler. There’s some intrigue there. Never say never.”